“The Women in Fitness Association exists to create opportunity for Women, to give them a voice in the fitness industry and create opportunity for any woman interested in growing her career. ”
This past year something super exciting happened, and is very near and dear to my heart, a movement that is absolutely going to change the face of the fitness industry and welcome in a whole new wave of female leadership.
The Story...
Last year, I attended the women in leadership summit at IHRSA, the experience created at the summit was like no other I’d had the chance to be a part of in our industry. Being in a room full of brilliant women in support of our industry was like a deep exhale, a complete breath of fresh air and I didn’t want it to end. Upon returning home after a fabulous week of making new connections and seeing old friends, I came home with the desire to feel what I felt in that room at the summit. I wanted a place where there was easy access to female mentors and a tight knit group of women to regularly collaborate with, I began my search to find a group that offered this kind of support, exclusively for women. Once I realized it didn't exist, I knew what needed to happen next.
The rest is history...
The Women in Fitness Association opened for membership May 31 of 2017 and by September we had formed a board of directors, bylaws, not for profit status, and over 60 women as associate members with global representation and corporate sponsorship. To date, we have over 80 members, three corporate sponsors, two meetings under our belts, serving over 200 women in total and an event planned to take place in San Diego the week of IHRSA.
Not a day goes by that I am not daydreaming about what WIFA can and will become. I think about all the women I know that want to run companies and be mothers and love travel, I am so excited that we’ve created a place to collaborate about how to accomplish that and so much more!
None of this could have happened if I did not have an army of women supporting me in this endeavor! Our board of directors and founding members have carried our success through word of mouth and trust and belief in what we are doing. Their brilliance and desire to lift women up to reach their fullest potential is humbling and truly exciting to be a part of.
If you have not checked out the Women in Fitness Association, go to the website to see our upcoming events and ways to join. I look forward to this being the beginning of something absolutely wonderful,
I am incredibly grateful for my mentors that said "why not, just do it", their ability to see what I was capable of before I could is what aided in my taking this leap of faith. Thank you.
Lindsey Rainwater, also known as Lindsey RainH2O, is a sought-after business advisor, Founder, writer & keynote speaker to the fitness and wellness industry. For more information about Rainwater, follow her on Twitter@LindseyRainH2O